What do you do?

[jennymacs]

Hi, It's me again with another silly question:) I will have tons of them I'm sure. I like to pick the brains of other artists to see if we are in the same boat... I am curious what others do with a piece of art that they are not happy with. Do you chuck it or put it on ebay for a low price and hope to get rid of it. I have a hard time deciding. I did two that I gave to my one year old to play with and one that I put on ebay for $5 hoping to get a bid (much to my surprise I did - it's the bunny on now). Usually when I first start working on a piece I hate it and think it looks bad. If I keep at it and focus it nearly always gets better and I am happy. But occasionally I get so sick of looking at the nasty thing I just quit. Anyone else? ~Jen

[mousewords]

I'm miserly with art--I never, ever used to throw anything away. Now, however, with the volume I'm trying to create for sale,I have a few that push that envelope! One's sitting on my drawing table right now... I mostly just put a piece aside if I'm not happy with it; usually I can go back to it later with a fresh eye and make it work as well as it can. Sometimes it's just technically weak, so it ends up being weak anyway, but not as bad as I expected. (I just sold one like that! It's so funny--they'll almost always sell.) And it's a good thing to remember that an artist is the harshest critic for their own art. That bunny, in my opinion, is a beautiful piece!! I'm not surprised it sold! Christine

[artistjillian]

One thing I know. I am always surprized at what sells and what doesn't on ebay. We usually say - what we think will sell, doesn't or sells at a very low price - or - what we think won't sell, does, and often at a much higher price than expected. I have learnt to make the most of my work. Either work on it until I get what I want from it. Or list it anyway. Or use part of it as a collage, as part of a different work entirely.

[jjohnsonlowe]

Jen, I have been selling since mid-December 2006 and I have found that the cards I do that I like the LEAST are the ones that sometimes get the highest bids. The ones that I spend a LOT of time on and proudly show to my family and friends are the sometimes the ones that get only one bid, or don't sell AT ALL!! I have joked that I must have NO taste!! I do agree that sometimes a card just flows -- it turns out exactly the way that you want it to -- and the feeling that accompanies that is PURE BLISS -- that is WHY I am an artist . And, sometimes, the card is really a lot of work -- I can toil and moan and groan -- leave the card and come back in a day or two with "new" eyes and get a satisfactory result. I personally would never just throw a card away. At the very least, you could just enclose it with a sold card as a "thank you" to a frequent buyer or list several unsold cards as a group with a low starting bid (but a bid that will at least cover the listing and paypal fees). I am sure that there are people out there without a lot of money who would be proud to say that they own one of your cards -- even if you call it a reject! BTW -- love your butterfly foals!!! 😄 Jana

[mllamb46]

I just go ahead and list those I'm not happy with. I have to say, some of my best sellers were pieces I was not happy with! 😛

[jennymacs]

Thank you for all the input. You guys are fast! I have been wondering about this for quite awhile. I guess I am afraid to put something on that I don't like because I don't want others to see it and think, "what crap, why did she list that!". I have a really nice following with my other work and I am sure they are all scratching their heads and trying to figure out what the heck ACEOs are and why am I doing them now:) Also I think it would be nice to have a discussion thread that is an art critique. I would love to have fellow artists pick apart a piece I am having trouble with. I think it would be very helpful to everyone - that is if you don't mind being picked apart:) ~Jen

[lightxposure]

yes Jana, i found that with my OSWOA paintings! BTW please can anyone tell me how does one put a watermark across the image of your work? thank sue in uk

[maggie2themax]

I've given non-sellers away to friends who like them, or as bonuses if a buyer made multiple purchases (not many of those, unfortunately) or has paid a decent price for something else and are nice. I've also followed the advice we often give and made a couple of greeting cards with the ACEOs attached to send to friends. Then I've also relisted ones that I think need a second chance. A smidgen under half of the relists sell. Sometimes its just the wrong time to list something. If you store it and relist later, it sells. There's always a use for art. Resist the urge to toss 'em.

[mllamb46]

Hi Sue. I was just having that conversation on another thread. I recently purchased a little program off the net. called DropWaterMark. It cost $16.00. I can customize a watermark and quickly mark my images before I list them There is another way to do this with programs like photoshop if you have that. Also Jen. There is a really nice critique only group here. Its called Ebay Artists Real Critique Forum. Melody

[drawdog5]

IMO, you shouldn't sell it cheap - either go ahead and list it (at perhaps a slightly lower than usual price if you're not comfortable with full price) or hang onto it for a while. Revisit it later and play around with it - if you're already unhappy with it, what have you got to lose? -Ann

[geripatch]

If I leave a piece and look at it with fresh eyes, I find so many faults that I can't possibly list it. I have to list straight away, or not at all! with the majority of stuff I list, I'm disappointed with it the next day. Of course, those are the pieces that sell well. The ones I really love might be lucky to get one bid. The very quickest paintings (I did a scribble of two pairs of pants on a washing line - went for nearly $40!) have sold the best of all. The ones I toil over for two days, sit on ebay and stare back at me without a bid. Oh and I try not to ever think 'this one will get a bidding war' - because it wont! Chris

[suejo0101]

It is funny - I have a piece that I have been working on & have gone back & tried to make it work (in my mind at least!). I used a vintage poem as the background (altered art) and the poem is about Mermaids & Mermen. However, in a moment of regretted madness I thought I'd try some watercolor on the paper & try to make it look underwater. Well - I think it looks so-so but I am going to list it later today & see what happens. Like has been said - the ones you don't expect to sell will fly away while the others just sit! Wish me luck! Sue

[inanire]

Whenever I'm not thrilled about one of my paintings, I'll either destroy it or (most of the time) paint over it. (I work mainly in oils.) If the painting is really good, but not one of my absolute favorites, I'll still list it on eBay. - You never know when it'll strike a chord with someone else. But, if I totally hate how something turned out, I won't sell it. Think about it: Don't you want whatever art that gets "out there" to represent you as an artist? Personally, if I hate it, I don't want it as part of my body of work. I want only what I consider good or great to be part of my body of work. Making bad art is fine; We all have to practice. But, selling something you personally hate just doesn't feel right to me. All the best, -Jendria

[jjohnsonlowe]

Jendria, do you ask someone else that you trust about a piece of work BEFORE you trash it?? I have things that I have done that I HATE and family members have begged for them! (Family members who snoop and find them in a closet or drawer!!) Sometimes we can't really SEE for ourselves if something is worthwhile. I don't know about anybody else, but I have NEVER done any art that I am 100% satisfied with. I am elated if I am 90% happy. Most artists are such perfectionists about their artwork. Maybe we should start a thread "I hate this piece -- be honest -- should I list it?" ?:| Jana

[katay2758]

Absolutely Jana! Never throw it away..you may come back months or years later and love it or tweek it a little! I just did an oil that I wasn't happy with..my hubby looked at it..That's one of the best you did! go figure! One thing with watercolors.. you can cut the picture apart even and make an ACEO out of a larger one!